The mainstream media has perfected the art of censorship without calling it censorship.
They don’t need government force or dramatic book burnings to control the conversation.
And Bill O’Reilly just exposed one nasty reality about how networks silence conservatives that will make your blood boil.
Networks won’t even let conservative bestselling authors through the door
Veteran television host Bill O’Reilly sat down with Newsmax to discuss his latest book and dropped a bombshell about something much bigger.
The former Fox News star exposed what he considers the most dangerous form of censorship in America today.
"It’s very hard for non-liberal authors or singers or actors or anybody with a product to get on ‘Jimmy Kimmel [Live!]’ or any of the network programs," O’Reilly said on "Finnerty." "Talk about lack of freedom of speech. That’s the real story, not Kimmel. I mean, that’s the real censorship."¹
O’Reilly explained how systematic this media blackout has become over the past decade.
Ever since Trump entered politics, O’Reilly says America’s biggest television networks have essentially banned conservative guests.
"Five major television outlets refuse to book any non-liberal guests," he continued. "You’ve got [Fox News host] Mark Levin, he’s a big bestseller; you’ve got a lot of talent on Newsmax; got a lot of talent on Fox News that can have an intelligent conversation. You’ll never get on them."²
O’Reilly personally confronted CNN’s Anderson Cooper about the boycott
The veteran broadcaster said he decided to take matters into his own hands with CNN’s Anderson Cooper.
O’Reilly recounted reaching out personally to CNN anchor Anderson Cooper, someone he knows from their years in the media business.
"I confronted Anderson Cooper himself because I know him," O’Reilly said. "And I said, ‘Hey, what’s the problem? You’re going to get much better ratings if you put me on. It’s a good book.’ But they just won’t because management" won’t allow it.³
O’Reilly also mentioned that CNN offered him a token late-night segment, but he saw through the meaningless gesture.
The message couldn’t be clearer: these networks have no intention of giving conservative voices any real platform.
O’Reilly noted that CBS recently allowed him to speak with Major Garrett, a former colleague, but called this development unusual.
"That was new," O’Reilly said, suggesting that CBS’ new ownership might be reconsidering their approach to conservative guests.
Here’s what this coordinated blackout really means for America
Look, this isn’t just about Bill O’Reilly getting airtime to hawk his latest book.
This is about something much more dangerous to our republic – the systematic elimination of conservative voices from the national conversation.
These networks aren’t just refusing to platform conservative authors because they disagree with them politically.
They’re actively working to ensure that millions of Americans never hear alternative viewpoints on the issues that matter most.
Think about the implications here.
You’ve got bestselling authors like Mark Levin who can’t get booked on major network television despite having massive audiences and important things to say.
You’ve got talented hosts on Newsmax and Fox News who could engage in intelligent conversations about the pressing issues of our time, but the major networks won’t give them a platform.
And you’ve got a former cable news giant like Bill O’Reilly – someone who built one of the most successful shows in television history – being told "no" by network management even when hosts like Anderson Cooper know it would boost their ratings.
What we’re witnessing isn’t competition in the marketplace of ideas.
It’s the deliberate construction of an echo chamber designed to keep conservative thoughts and voices away from as many Americans as possible.
The mainstream media has figured out that they don’t need to argue against conservative ideas – they can just pretend those ideas don’t exist.
Why argue with conservative ideas when you can just ban them from television entirely?
That’s exactly what’s happening here, and it goes far beyond Bill O’Reilly or any single author.
Half the country can’t get their voices heard on the networks that claim to serve all Americans.
The same outlets that lecture everyone else about democracy won’t even let conservatives through the door.
How much longer will viewers tolerate this obvious manipulation?
O’Reilly just confirmed what conservatives have suspected for years – the blackout is real, it’s coordinated, and it’s getting worse.
The networks aren’t even trying to hide it anymore.
¹ Newsmax Wires, "O’Reilly to Newsmax: Networks Censor by Shunning Conservatives," Newsmax, September 23, 2025.
² Ibid.
³ Ibid.
